If I skipped benching for a day, would it completely invalidate my theory? Or, on the contrary, would it just add the wrinkle that you have to be smart about it? When the time came for my afternoon workout, I decided the latter was the smarter move.
And, to my good fortune, as the day continued the shoulder pain subsided. Then — like an idiot — at the end of the day I decided to keep my streak alive and do a few quick sets of bench before heading home.
What Went Wrong? Was there a hole in my plan — or in its execution? Or can you really just not bench press every day, no matter who you are and how good your plan? I estimate I was performing about six sets of bench press to every three sets of pulling exercises.
I also didn't listen to my body and take a break at the first sign of discomfort. Pausing every rep will most likely decrease your bench numbers, at least at first. But in the long run, it will lead to greater gains. Let me explain. Most raw lifters fail on their chest or a couple inches above. This causes the bar to accelerate at the bottom, which leads to a lack of stability on the chest.
Pausing every rep will not only help build stability, it can also improve reversal strength off the chest. If you are weak in a position, it makes sense to spend more time there. If you are a powerlifter or plan to be this is really non-negotiable. The pause is required in competition, so it makes sense to practice how you play. Most importantly, even if you are not a competitive powerlifter, a paused bench press is still legitimate. There is a reason powerlifting federations require the bar be motionless pause.
It helps standardize the movement. Nothing is more impressive than hitting a huge PR with picture-perfect form that would pass in a meet. Last but not least, form. Nothing will make as big of a difference in your bench press strength than dialing in your form. Some lifters can add lbs on their bench in literally 10 minutes, just by improving technique. The bench is one of the first fundamental lifts you learn after stepping foot inside a gym.
However, very few lifters outside of elite powerlifters will understand all the variables and intricacies involved in a proper bench press. If the first thing you think about when starting a bench press is grabbing the bar, you have already started down the wrong path. First, you need to get your body in a good position. A proper set up will absolutely add pounds to the bar.
The most important point to consider during the setup process is scapular retraction squeeze your shoulder blades together and depression push your lats toward your waist. To accomplish scapular retraction , you will need to arch your back while retracting your shoulder blades together like you would at the top of a barbell row. Think about trying to hold a pencil in your upper back.
A powerlifting setup on the bench press isn't just the most efficient, it's also the safest. A shorter range of motion creates a more efficient press, especially for longer-armed benchers.
Get your shoulders in the right position, and keep them there throughout the entire movement. Next, we need to look at grip position. We talk about whether this approach can work for novice, intermediate, and advanced powerlifters.
In fact, we will not be performing 1 rep maxes during this time, and we will avoid going until failure. The reason for this is that we need to recover enough between sessions to be able to perform well enough for subsequent sessions in the week. If we push until failure on Monday, the rest of our training sessions for the week may suffer.
Instead, bench pressing every day would incorporate more technique work to focus on specific areas of weakness within the movement, some speed work to control the tempo of the lift and build explosiveness, and some general strength sessions as well. All of these sessions work to improve the bench press, so that when the time comes for us to test our 1 rep max, we will be injury free and possess the skills to express as much strength as possible.
Are you missing out on bench press progress by neglecting accessories? Try these 10 Bench Press Accessories. To ensure we are working safely and effectively while bench pressing every day, we should incorporate more technique work to focus on specific areas of weakness within the movement, some speed work to control the tempo of the lift and build explosiveness, along with some general strength sessions.
We should also limit the amount of accessories for the chest , shoulders , and triceps to avoid additional fatigue that may impair the training sessions throughout the week.
Although stability exercises for the muscles that position the pectoral girdle the bones that connect the upper extremities to the body should be considered to promote injury prevention. It is also important that we monitor for symptoms of overtraining , which include excessive fatigue, muscle strains, lack of motivation, difficulty sleeping, and prolonged heart rate elevation following exercise. Noticing these symptoms early can help us to avoid further physiological and psychological distress.
Prioritizing recovery by balancing training volume and intensity and monitoring frequently for signs of overtraining, sets us up for success so that when the time comes for us to test our 1 rep max, we will be injury free and possess the technique to express as much strength as possible. Are you warming up effectively for the bench press? The following is a sample program that focuses on improving technique and building strength, specifically strength off the chest , as the exercise variations on technique days focus on the bottom to mid-range of the bench press.
These exercises could be substituted for exercises with a focus on the bench press lockout instead of off the chest, if necessary. Interested in learning more about high-frequency powerlifting programming? Check out my article discussing the 6-Day Powerlifting Split. While bench pressing every Day is not for everyone, it can help to improve technique, work around a busy schedule, and introduce a new stimulus to break through a plateau.
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